A judge has thrown out the public nuisance case against three Just Stop Oil protesters who disrupted the British Open golf tournament in 2023, ruling that the brief disruption did not meet the legal threshold for the charge.
Judge Gary Woodhall, sitting at Liverpool Crown Court, dismissed the case against George Birch, Noah Crane, and Lucy Timlin, who were accused of intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance at Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake on 21 July 2023. The trio had pleaded not guilty and argued that their actions were part of a campaign to end new oil and gas licences in the UK.
During the tournament, the three campaigners threw orange powder, set off a smoke flare, and sat on the golf course to draw attention to the climate crisis. The British Open, a high-profile sporting event watched by hundreds of thousands on-site and on television, was briefly interrupted by the protest.
Despite the scale of the event, Judge Woodhall concluded that the protest’s short duration did not constitute a public nuisance. In delivering his decision, he noted that the disruption, while visible and symbolic, was not sufficient to meet the required legal standard.
Following the ruling, the defendants issued a joint statement, saying:
“The actions taken by Just Stop Oil in 2022 and 2023 moved the issuing of new oil and gas licences from an obscure industry talking point to a major political issue. This resulted in the Labour Party ending new oil and gas licensing when it came to power in 2024. We are not guilty of public nuisance—in acting, we have helped prevent 4.4 billion barrels of oil being extracted, a major public good.”
Olympian James Brown also praised the court’s decision, saying:
“These three should be celebrated, not prosecuted. Climate collapse won’t spare sports. If we want to protect all we love—including events like the British Open—we must end oil and gas.”
During the trial, Judge Woodhall reminded jurors to disregard a silent protest outside the court, where demonstrators held signs reading “Jurors have an absolute right to acquit according to their conscience.” He urged them to focus solely on the evidence presented in court.
A spokesperson for Just Stop Oil criticised the prosecution’s approach, saying:
“The Crown Prosecution Service has overreached by pushing the most severe charges against peaceful protesters. This shows the immorality of targeting those warning about climate breakdown while allowing the destruction to continue unchecked.”
The group also pointed to its successful campaign achievement in 2024, when the government committed to ending new oil and gas licences—Just Stop Oil’s primary demand. Activists now claim the courts are beginning to align with their cause, calling the latest ruling another vindication of their strategy.
The group says it will return to the streets in April with fresh action aimed at pressuring governments to commit to ending all oil, gas, and coal extraction by 2030.
